Turning over a fuille
morte. As of March 2003 I am
throwing out all non-historical recipes.
I left them up for years because, more or
less, this is all we had, these strange
and bogus vodka soak herb recipes that mysteriously
appeared on the internet sometime in 1992-93.

Well, no more, this site
will no longer give them the credibility
they never deserved.

That said, these recipes are provided as
a historical curiosity for the information
hungry only. Distilling of alcohols is illegal
in many countries, including the U.S. Do
not try this at home.

Macerate the ingredients with the alcohol
for twelve hours or less in a double boiler,
then add 45 liters of water heated to 60-80
degrees, and distill slowly, preferably
with steam, to obtain 95 liters of product
which will be used to prepare the liqueur.
Nevertheless, continue distilling, just
until the liquid coming out of the still
reads zero on the alcohol meter. This blanquette,
though only slightly alcoholic, is precious;
it contains much essence and it is poured
into subsequent batches along with the alcohol
and the plants.

The distilled liquid, very fragrant, is
white or color- less like water. To transform
it into absinthe, it is necessary to color
it and reinforce its fragrance.

All these ingredients being as finely divided
as possible, that is to say, cut, chopped,
or crushed; one places them into a double
boiler along with the previously distilled
product, or better yet into an apparatus
called a colorator, of galvanized copper,
heated by hot water circulation or by steam,
and one heats everything to just around
50 degrees centigrade. Under the influence
of this temperature, the plants yield to
the liqueur their main natural coloring,
chlorophyll, and their fragrance. One cools
gently, and passes the colored liquid through
a hair sieve, letting the plants drain well,
and one adds the quantity of water necessary
to reduce (the alcohol content) to 74 degrees
and to makeup (the quantity) to 100 liters,
and one places it into barrels to age. It
is time which finishes the quality.

An 1855 recipe from Pontarlier, France,
gives the following instructions for making
absinthe: Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried
wormwood, 5 kilograms of anise and 5 kilograms
of fennel in 95 liters of 85 percent ethanol
by volume. Let the mixture steep for at
least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler.
Add 45 liters of water and apply heat; collect
95 liters of distillate. To 40 liters of
the distillate, add 1 kilogram of Roman
wormwood, 1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams
of lemon balm, all of which have been dried
and finely divided. Extract at a moderate
temperature, then siphon off the liquor,
filter, and reunite it with the remaining
55 liters of distillate. Dilute with water
to produce approximately 100 liters of absinthe
with a final alcohol concentration of 74
percent by volume (4).

797.
To Make Absinthe by Distillation. From "Dick's Encyclopedia
of Practical Receipts & Processes or
How They Did It in the 1870's", by
Dick Brisbane, first published 1870

Moisten the whole with a little water,
allowing it time to soften and swell; then
add 12 gallons 95 percent alcohol, and steep
for 2 or 3 days; next add 10 gallons water,
and let the whole steep for 1 day more.
The water will reduce the alcohol to about
23 gallons of proof spirit. Distill it,
and it will produce nearly 15 gallons absinthe
of 65 to 70 percent strenght. Change the
receiver as soon as the spirit, as it comes
from the worm, begins to assume a reddish
tinge. Color the distilled product, by steeping
in it for 10 or 15 days:

The
Practical Distiller Recipe, 1889Excerpted from "The
Practical Distiller," by Leonard Montzert,
1889.

The operation of distilling French liqueurs,
such as anisette, absinthe, curacoa, maraschino,
etc., should be performed in a regular cordial
still, fitted with a water bath. Absinthe
is a product of Switzerland. It is well
known on both continents as a powerful stimulant
and is highly esteemed by the French. The
greater portion used in this country (he
means the USA) is imported in bottles
from the country from whence it originated.
The manner of producing this liqueur was
for many years kept a profound secret, being
handed down from father to son for generations.
It is now prepared to a certain extent in
this country by a French cordial manufacturers,
who have succeeded in producing an Absinthe
which, when ripened by age, is in every
way equal to that which is imported, and,
in fact can not be distinguished from it.

Put all of these ingredients into 125 gallons
(473 liters) of fine spirits at 190 proof.
Allow this to remain twenty days, stirring
once every day, at the expiration of which
time the whole substance is put into a cordial
still, together with fifteen gallons of
water, and distilled.

The distilling in this case requires great
precaution in its management. The heat must
be kept uniform throughout the whole operation,
so that the liquor will flow very regularly;
not to fast, as that would render the product
bitter; not to slowly, as it would be milky.

The exact heat required in this instance
can only be learned by experience; the operator
must be guided by the flavor and aroma of
the running liquor, during the process.

When the charge is nearly run off, a fact
which is ascertained by comparing the amount
distilled, with that which has been put
in the still, keep a strict watch for the
feints, or low wines; this is indicated
by the running diminishing in size and the
liquor becoming milky.

At this stage of the operation, the receiver
must be changed, and the feints run off
separately, as they are not suitable for
mixing with the clear running. The quality
of the product will depend in a great measure
on the proper observation of this latter
precaution.

If quantity is more an object than quality,
or if a second quality is desired, as soon
as the feints appear, add more water to
the dregs in the still and distill again;
this second drawing may be mixed with the
first or used as second class goods.

When the distillation is completed, the
next thing is to color the liquor. For this
purpose take as follows:

Put the ingredients in the liquor which
has been distilled, and allow the whole
to remain until the desired color is obtained;
then draw it off into another cask and reduce
the alcoholic strength to 120 proof, or
in other words, 60 percent, and it is ready
for bottling.

DUPLAIS'
SWISS ABSINTHE OF LYON
(For 100 liters)

SOURCE: TREATISE ON THE MANUFACTURE
OF LIQUEURS AND ON THE DISTILLATION OF ALCOHOLS

Macerate the ingredients with the alcohol
in the apparatus for at
least twelve hours; add water at the time
of distillation, to withdraw
570 liters of scented spirit; once this
quantity has been obtained,
continue distillation, to obtain phlegms,
which will be set aside and
used in another operation; reduce to 74
degrees.

DUPLAIS'
SWISS ABSINTHE OF BESANCON
(For 600 liters)

SOURCE: TREATISE ON THE MANUFACTURE
OF LIQUEURS AND ON THE DISTILLATION OF ALCOHOLS